Nigerian Premier League (basketball)
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}{{Infobox basketball league
| name = Nigerian Premier League
| image = Nigerian Basketball Premier League logo.png
| pixels =
| organiser = Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF)
| founded =1995
| first =1995
| folded =
| successor =
| country = Nigeria
| other countries =
| confed = FIBA Africa
| divisions = 2
| teams = 16
(2024)
| feeds =
| promotion =
| relegation =NBBF National Division One
| levels =
| domest_cup =
| supercup =
| confed_cup =Basketball Africa League
| champions = Rivers Hoopers (6th title)
| season = 2024
| most_champs = Kano Pillars (7 titles)
| most_appearances =
| top_scorer =
| ceo =
| commissioner =
| president =
| tv =
| website =
| current = 2023 Nigerian Basketball Premier League
}}
The Nigerian Premier Basketball League, often abbreviated to the NPL, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Nigeria. The league consists of sixteen teams who are categorized into two conferences based on the geographical location. These conferences are Savannah and the Atlantic.
Format
The league usually spans from March till mid year. Each team plays a total of 14 games in a regular season after which the top four teams qualify for the Final Eight Playoffs which usually takes place at the National Stadium Surulere Lagos. The team at the bottom of the table in each conference is relegated from the league. Towards the end of the year, the Division 1 Championship is held to determine who will be promoted to the DSTV League for the new season. In the 2014 season, Royal Hoopers of Rivers State and Niger Potter of Nigers State were both relegated from the Atlantic and Savannah Conference respectively. Accordingly, the Delta Force and FCT Rocks were promoted to the league having won the Division 1 Championship in November 2014.
Amendments were made to the schedule of events this season. At the end of the season, the top six teams from each conference will play conference playoffs to determine the winner of each conference before the top four of each conference will play the Final Eight Playoffs to determine the league winner. This is to increase the number of games played by each team in a particular season.
History
The Nigerian Premier League was founded in 1995.{{Cite news |last=Akalonu |first=Eddie |date=2002-09-01 |title=Nigeria: Islanders Kings Again |url=https://allafrica.com/stories/200209230579.html |work=Vanguard}}
In 2017, Nigeria Basketball Federation reached an agreement with Kwese Sports for the title rights of the league. The deal runs till 2021,
Since 2021, the champions of the Premier League qualify directly for the regular season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), Africa's new first-tier created as a joint venture by the NBA and FIBA.
In the 2021 season, the league was organised by the Nigerian Ministry of Youth and Sports , after they earlier dissolved the caretaker committee of the NBBF.{{Cite web |date=2021-10-27 |title=Sports ministry dissolves NBBF caretaker committee |url=https://www.thecable.ng/sports-ministry-dissolves-nbbf-caretaker-committee |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=TheCable |language=en-US}} FIBA rules prohibit governments from intervening in federations, which is why the championship was ruled illegitimate. As a result, the 2021 champions Rivers Hoopers were excluded from participation in the 2022 BAL season.{{Cite web |date=2022-02-15 |title=Why did Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers get booted out of the BAL? |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/33293775/why-did-nigeria-rivers-hoopers-get-booted-basketball-africa-league |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}
Sponsorships
For sponsorship reasons the league has known several names in its existence. The league was sponsored by the DSTV until 2017, who had both title and TV rights through the contract agreement. The league was then referred to as the DSTV Premier Basketball League.
- 7up Premier League
- Vmobile Premier League (2006){{Cite news |last=Ayinor |first=Pius |date=2006-08-01 |title=Nigeria: Vmobile League - Peaks to Keep Trophy Forever |url=https://allafrica.com/stories/200608010109.html |access-date=2024-02-25 |work=AllAfrica.com}}{{Cite news |date=2005-03-26 |title=Nigeria: Vmobile League: the Creation of Bumper Basketball |url=https://allafrica.com/stories/200503280549.html |work=This Day}}
- DSTV Premier Basketball League (2017)
List of winners
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!Season !width=180 |Champions !width=180 |Runner-up !Finals score !Finals venue !{{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}} |
| 2024
|Hoops & Read |71–54 | rowspan="2" |Rivers State Complex, Port Harcourt |
| 2023
|Gboko City Chiefs |
| 2022
|78–53 |
| 20211
|74–57 |Abuja Sports Hall, Abuja |
| 2020
| colspan="5" |Not held |
| 2019
| Raptors |97–57 |
| 2018
| | |
| 2017
| | |
| 2016
| | |
| 2015
| | |
| 2014
| | |
| 2013
| | |
| 2012
| | |
| 2011
| | |
| 2010
| | |
| 2009
|83–72 | rowspan="3" |National Stadium, Lagos |
| 2008
| |
| 2007
|74–64 |
| 2006
|2–0{{Efn|In the 2006 season, the Premier League final was played in a best-of-three series.[https://allafrica.com/stories/200706190911.html]}} |Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna |
| 2005
| |{{Cite web |title=NGR - Comets, Customs in VMobile Premier League opener |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/news/NGR-Comets-Customs-in-VMobile-Premier-League-opener |access-date=2022-08-12 |website=FIBA.basketball |language=en}}{{Cite news |title=Nigeria: Vmobile League: Final Table Reads Upside Down |url=https://allafrica.com/stories/200706190911.html}} |
| 2003
| | | |
| 2001
|70–55 | |
| 2000
| | | | |
| 1999
| | | | |
| 1998
| | | | |
| 1997
| | | | |
1 The 2021 season was not organised by the NBBF, but by the Nigerian Ministry of Youth and Sports in a response to the lack of . FIBA did not recognise Rivers Hoopers as champions, which caused them to lose their place in the 2022 BAL season.
= Titles by club =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ !Club !Champions !Runners-up !Years won |
| Kano Pillars
|7 |2 |2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 |
| Rivers Hoopers
|6 |0 |2011, 2012, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024 |
| Lagos Islanders
|5 |0 |1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 |
| Ebun Comets
|3 |0 |2003, 2005, 2007 |
| Gombe Bulls
|1 |2 |2018 |
| Plateau Peaks
|1 |1 |2006 |
| Kwara Falcons
|1 |1 |2022 |
Clubs
=Savannah Conference=
| class="wikitable sortable" | |
| Club
! City | |
|---|---|
| Mark Mentors | Abuja |
| Bauchi Nets | Bauchi |
| Kano Pillars | Kano |
| Civil Defenders | Abuja |
| Plateau Peaks | Jos |
| Gombe Bulls | Gombe |
| Niger Potters | Minna |
| Kada Stars | Kaduna |
=Atlantic Conference=
In the Basketball Africa League
The champions of the Nigerian Premier League qualify directly to the Basketball Africa League (BAL). Two teams, namely Rivers Hoopers and Kwara Falcons, have represented the country in the BAL thus far.
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" | Season ! rowspan="2" |Representative ! colspan="4" |Road to BAL ! rowspan="100" | ! colspan="3" |Main competition |
| width="35" |{{tooltip|W|Won}}
! width="35" |{{tooltip|L|Lost}} ! Result ! Qualified ! width="35" |{{tooltip|W|Won}} ! width="35" |{{tooltip|L|Lost}} ! Result |
|---|
| 2021
| colspan=4 {{n/a|Directly qualified}} | 1 | 2 | 3rd in Group Phase |
| 2022
| colspan=4 {{n/a|Directly qualified}} | colspan=3 {{Dropped|Disqualified}} |
| 2023
| colspan=4 {{n/a|Directly qualified}} |0 |5 |6th in Sahara Conference |
| Total
! ! – ! – ! colspan="2" | ! 1 ! 7 ! |
Individual awards
In some seasons, the NBBF has awarded individual awards to the best performing players of a given Premier League season.
= Most Valuable Player =
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
- 2009 – Abubakar Usman, Kano Pillars{{Cite web |date=2009-11-05 |title=NGR - Kano Pillars emerge Nigerian league champions |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/news/NGR-Kano-Pillars-emerge-Nigerian-league-champions |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=FIBA.basketball |language=en}}
- 2011 – Abubakar Usman, Kano Pillars{{Cite web |date=2011-05-26 |title=NGR - Nigeria name 16-man squad for training camp |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/news/NGR-Nigeria-name-16-man-squad-for-training-camp |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=FIBA.basketball |language=en}}
- 2012 – Azuoma Dike, Royal Hoopers{{Cite web |last=Afrbk: 15:50 |title=Basketball in Africa: NIGERIA : Premier Basketball League: Royal Hoopers BC road to glory |url=https://basket-in-africa.blogspot.com/2011/07/nigeria-premier-basketball-league-royal.html |access-date=2023-11-25}}
- 2013 – Azuoma Dike, Kano Pillars{{Cite web |date=2013-09-07 |title=Kano Pillars wins Nigerian Basketball league |url=https://nigerianbulletin.com/threads/kano-pillars-wins-nigerian-basketball-league.4184/ |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=Nigerian Bulletin |language=en-US}}
- 2014 – Abubakar Usman, Kano Pillars{{Cite web |last= |title=Basketball in Africa: NIGERIA : MVP Usman Inspires Kano Pillars to Victory |url=http://basket-in-africa.blogspot.com/2014/07/nigeria-mvp-usman-inspires-kano-pillars.html |access-date=2023-11-25}}
- 2015 – Abdul Yahaya, Royal Hoopers{{Cite web |title=Rivers Hoopers boost squad with Yahaya and Akita, set eyes on Elite 8 |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/africaleague/2019/news/rivers-hoopers-boost-squad-with-yahaya-and-akita-set-eyes-on-elite-8 |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=FIBA.basketball |language=en |quote=The 28-year-old Yahaya helped Mark Mentors to the Nigeria domestic league title in 2015 where he emerged as the Most Valuable Player [...]}}
- 2016 – Abubakar Usman, Kano Pillars{{Cite web |title=Nigeria new champions Kano Pillars qualify for FIBA Africa Champions Cup Zone 3 qualifier |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/news/nigeria-new-champions-kano-pillars-qualify-for-fiba-africa-champions-cup-zone-3-qualifier |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=FIBA.basketball |language=en}}
- 2018 – Ibe Agu, Gombe Bulls{{Cite web |last=Moseph |first=Queen |date=2018-10-10 |title=2018 my greatest in basketball - Abdulrahman Mohammed |url=https://aclsports.com/2018-my-greatest-in-basketball-abdulrahman-mohammed/ |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=ACLSports |language=en-GB}}
- 2019 – Abdul Yahaya, Rivers Hoopers{{Cite web |date=2019-11-19 |title=Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers secure BAL ticket |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/africaleague/2020/qualifiers/news/nigerias-rivers-hoopers-secure-bal-ticket |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=FIBA.basketball |language=en}}
- 2021 – Anaiye Johnson, Rivers Hoopers{{Cite web |last=Saliu |first=Mohammed |date=2021-11-18 |title=Rivers Hoopers Knock Bulls to Claim Championship, BAL TIcket |url=https://www.brila.net/rivers-hoopers-knock-bulls-to-claim-championship-bal-ticket/ |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=Latest Sports News In Nigeria |language=en-US}}
- 2024 – Kelvin Amayo, Rivers Hoopers
{{div col end}}
= Finals Most Valuable Player =
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
- 2017 – Nwafor Joseph, Kano Pillars{{Cite web |title=NWAFOR JOSEPH`S DOUBLE DOUBLE COULDN`T SECURE KANO PILLARS` FIRST WIN OF THE SERI MUTIARA CUP 2017 |url=https://bballnaija.com/single.php?msg_id=243&cat=home |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=bballnaija.com}}
- 2021 – Victor Anthony Koko, Rivers Hoopers{{Cite web |title=RiversHoopers/status/1460823515024793602 |url=https://twitter.com/RiversHoopers/status/1460823515024793602 |access-date=2023-11-25 |website=X (formerly Twitter) |language=en}}
- 2022 – Dada Samuel, Kwara Falcons
{{div col end}}
References
Notes
{{Notelist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080625031438/http://www.africabasket.com/Nigeria/basketball.asp Africabasket.com League Page]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20071023020518/http://fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/byNF/teas.asp?teamnumber=340 FIBA.com League Page]
- [http://www.Twitter.com/BballNaija BballNaija]
{{Basketball in Nigeria}}
{{Nigerian Basketball Premier League}}
{{Basketball competitions in Africa}}
{{Men's professional basketball leagues}}
Category:Basketball competitions in Nigeria